Conference: 21st International Conference on Arabidopsis Research, Yokohama, Japan, June 6-10, 2010

University Of California-San Diego, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Abstract

Intellectual Merit The 21st International Conference on Arabidopsis Research will be held at the Pacifico Yokohama Convention Center in Yokohama, Japan, June 6-10, 2010. The award will support the meeting attendance of young researchers and scientists from minority-serving institutions. Arabidopsis is widely recognized as an excellent plant for experimentation in genetics and genomics and has gained universal support as a central reference and conceptual framework for much of plant biology. The annual International Conference on Arabidopsis Research (ICAR) brings together approximately 1,000 participants from this tightly-linked international scientific community to exchange scientific results and report on progress in the field. The conference will cover a broad range of important and current topics including Crop Genomics, Development, Epigenomics and RNA Regulation, Cell Biology, Systems Biology and Metabolism, Environmental Responses, Plant Hormone Regulation, Evolution and Natural Variation, Epigenetic Mechanisms, Regeneration, Abiotic/Biotic Responses, Peptides in Intercellular Signaling, and Research Tools/Resources. In addition to platform talks the conference will include 16-24 speakers chosen from submitted abstracts, a significant proportion of which will be graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, or faculty members at early stages of their careers. There will also be community-organized workshops that allow additional speakers to present their research. This will ensure presentation of the latest results and provide important career development for young scientists. Broader Impacts A particular strength of the ICAR lies in its ability to enhance the exchange of information at the forefront of Arabidopsis research worldwide, creating new networks and collaborations. The conference program and abstracts will be publicly available on the conference website and permanently archived. The ICAR also has a long and successful history of being inclusive of young scientists as well as women and minorities. Support of this conference will provide full funding for several underrepresented US minorities and/or faculty as well as partial funding of travel expenses for additional young domestic faculty, postdoctoral scholars, or graduate students. A special luncheon to acknowledge recipients of US-sponsored minority funding and to establish an informal networking venue as well as an "Emerging Scientists Luncheon" is planned. Many of the oral presentations at the sessions and workshops will be given by graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and junior faculty. This will promote the training of students and postdocs and provide important opportunities for career development. The conference program and abstracts will be publicly available on the conference website and permanently archived at TAIR (http://www.arabidopsis.org/news/abstracts.jsp).